Time Forgotten
by Ritana
Summary: Inu-Yasha falls asleep for what he thinks is only a few minutes, but turns out to be even longer! A Rip van winkle story with a Inu-Yasha twist. (Completed)


When Inu-Yasha forgot the time

Chapter one

            Inu-Yasha was growing worried about Kagome.  He hadn't seen her in over a month, and usually she was back within two weeks.  He had waited and waited, and soon the day she said she'd be back passed, and still she was not back.  Inu-Yasha decided to take matters into his own hands.  After taking a nap he grabbed a piece of the sacred jewel and snuck out to the well.  Carefully he examined the well and sniffed it.  Kagome's scent was not present, nor was there any evidence that she had ever been there…at least not in months. Inu-Yasha bit his lips, causing a little blood to drip form his lips.  He shook his head and jumped into the well.

            Inu-Yasha slowly climbed out the well and sniffed the air; Kagome's scent was not present.  Inu-Yasha hopped out of the well and looked around.  Kagome's house was different, no longer was the shrine small, it was much larger and buildings seemed to crowd around it.  Inu-Yasha knocked on the door of the shrine, no answer.  Inu-Yasha was beginning to grow worried.  He leaped into his favorite tree, and fell flat onto his face, it was gone.  Inu-Yasha scratched his head and sat up,

"What the…heck?"

Inu-Yasha shook his head,

"What is going on here?"

Inu-Yasha remembered the only other place Kagome would be, school.  He raced to the school and stood in amazement at the building, it was much larger, and painted a brown and white color.  He knew only one thing in this school that would drive him in, and he stepped inside.

            Inu-Yasha looked into Kagome's classroom.  He sighed with relief as he noticed Kagome sitting at her desk.  He would wait until she came outside, and then talk to her.  He slumped down and looked around.  Something was different, but he couldn't but his finger on it.  He looked at the clock; he didn't see a use to the thing, probably because he couldn't tell time.  Kagome had tried to teacher him once, but it didn't help him in his stupid stage of no intelligence, by modern people.  He knew though, he had great wisdom of the world, in nature, where it beckoned him to follow.  

            Inu-Yasha heard a large rind and noticed how gently Kagome slid out of her chair.  He knew he loved her, but he would never admit it.  Kaogme's face was a little pale today; _maybe she's sick_, Inu-Yasha thought with fear.  He shrugged it off and watched, as Kagome was the last to leave the classroom.  As she exited she called to her friends,

"Don't forget to come with me on my date with Greg!"

Date with Greg?  Inu-Yasha felt his heart boil, he had been replaced.  Inu-Yasha reached out and grabbed Kagome's arm and thrust her into the wall gently.  He moved his lips and kissed her,

"Why have you betrayed me?"

Kagome wrested and tried to scream.  Her face was paler with horror,

"Who are you?"  Kagome said mumbling.

"It's me…Inu-Yasha"

Kagome stroked back her hair,

"Are you sure?"

"Yes Kagome!  It's me!  Can you not see that?"

Kagome shifted under Inu-Yasha's arms and faced him,

"I'm not Kagome, I'm her daughter, Rain…. and you're supposed to be dead, she says you two were old friends"

"Dead?" Inu-Yasha stuttered.

"Yes, Mom says that when she went back, you were never found, and she just gave up and kept the jewel shards, she got over it though, if you want more details, you can come with me, mom will be glad to see you"

Inu-Yasha still couldn't grasp it, Kagome… "Is your mother married?" Inu-Yasha asked weakly.

Rain nodded and added a slow, "Happily too"

Inu-Yasha nodded and watched as Rain began down the halls.  Rain turned back and glanced at him, "coming or not?"

Inu-Yasha nodded and followed Rain outside, 

"Tell me Rain, what year is this?!"

Rain stopped and looked towards the sky in thought, "Well, when you met mom, back in 1997, now it's twenty years later, so mom's 35 now, so it's 2017, welcome to the future"

Rain began walking on and neither Rain or Inu-Yasha said anything more until they reached the shrine.  Inu-Yasha felt his legs begin to shake, but to prevent it from being seen he strongly countiued walking up the steep steps, right behind Rain.  Rain stopped at the house entrance and turned to Inu-Yasha,

"I'll fetch mom, just go stand over by that tree" Rain said pointing to the tree where Kikiyo had sealed him, and Kagome and Inu-Yasha had first met.

Inu-Yasha sat down Indian style and waited for Kagome to pop out.   Bitterly Inu-Yasha wanted to get up, he knew this wasn't right, but his heart told him differently.

"Inu-Yasha" A familiar voice loomed over him just as a shadow was cast down on him.  Inu-Yasha looked up to see Kagome, she had aged and her black hair had become paler.  Her face was no longer as bright and youthful, she had aged.  Inu-Yasha smiled and patted the ground next to him.  Kagome sat down, carefully sitting down not to get dirt on her blue dress.  Inu-Yasha smiled at Kagome,

"I've missed you" _I could've said something better…._ Inu-Yasha thought to himself as soon as the words had left his mouth.

"So have I" Kagome said tenderly, "I…. guess I should explain exactly what happened, what our daughter knows, isn't the entire truth"

            "Daughter?!"  Inu-Yasha screamed,

Kagome placed her hand over Inu-Yasha's mouth, "Yes, but not so loudly"

Inu-Yasha nodded as Kagome removed her hand from his mouth, "Please Kagome, tell me"

Kagome nodded and closed her eyes,

"It was after, well, you know" Inu-Yasha quickly nodded and Kagome continued, "After we eloped, I never told anyone, and I became pregnant.  My mom noticed it before I did, and took me to a doctor and she found out I was pregnant, she was furious.  I told her that we had eloped, but she wouldn't hear of it, I thought she liked you, but I guess I thought wrong, she wanted me to have an abortion, but I refused.  Grandpa said it wasn't right, even if we were married, a demon and a human, it doesn't work.  So, Grandpa hunted down a very effective and powerful spell caster, who gave me some powder to sprinkle on you, and make you sleep for twenty years, it worked, I used a charm also to protect you from any harm that might come to you.   The jewel shards, I destroyed one, so it can never be completed, please don't be angry…"

Inu-Yasha shook his head, "No, I understand, but still…" Inside burned with Rage, now I'll never become full demon…."

"Good Inu-Yasha, you have been able to contain your rage, you've changed since when we first meet each other, even though it was so long ago" Kagome played with a piece of Inu-Yasha's hair, "Yet, there is still so very much to tell you, my husband, will be home soon, I ask you to leave, but return tomorrow morning after he is gone, and so is our daughter, and then we can talk more" Kagome leaned onto Inu-Yasha and kissed him before standing and bowing to Inu-Yasha then quickly scurried away, but not before whispering in Inu-Yasha's ear, "I love you"

            Inu-Yasha watched until Kagome had stepped inside her house before climbing up into a nearby tree and making himself comfortable.  He glanced at the sky, but his eyes returned and he focused with deep thought, _Kagome, I'm sorry for the pain I've cause you, if only there was a way to undo the hands of time, if only we hadn't eloped, if only, I hadn't been so vulnerable in my sleep twenty years ago, but what about Sango, Shippo and Mirkou, was Naraku still at large, had you managed to kill him?_  So many thoughts raced through Inu-Yasha, he knew it would do him no good to continue worrying; all the answers awaited him in the morning.  He knew no matter what he would find out, Kagome was there, and that was all that mattered.

            Inu-Yasha awoke to the sunlight poking his face and eyes.  Blinking he sat up and glanced down from his tree.  He heard voices, one of them was Kagome.  He gently shifted the leaves blocking his view and glanced down to see Kagome, a man about her age and Rain.  He frowned as he picked up the conversation,

"Kagome, I love you" The man gently kissed Kagome on the lips.

Kagome smiled and kissed him back, "I love you more than anyone else in the world Hojo"

Rain rolled her eyes, "Good-bye!"

Kagome and Hojo smiled,

"Sayonara!"

            Inu-Yasha cringed, _more than anyone else in the world, more than me…_  Inu-Yasha felt heartbroken, it was even worse than when Kikiyo had sealed him to the tree, leaving him dead.  _She loves him, if I was to stay, I'd ruin their love, and I'm so selfish to stay here.  _Inu-Yasha waited until Hojo and Rain had left and Kagome had gone inside before he climbed down from the tree and crept back towards the well and slid down it.  So many questions still purged his mind; it had been a mistake to come.  When he arrived back in the feudal area he walked back to the village where Kaede lived.  A young man noticed him and was filled with mixed emotions as he approached Inu-Yasha,

"Inu-Yasha?!"

Inu-Yasha nodded, "Yeah, where's Kaede?"

"She's in her hut, but be gentle with her, death is near her"

Inu-Yasha nodded sadly, despite how she had treated him at times, he considered her a friend, thinking back on his arrogant comments followed by her wisdom made him laugh to himself as he walked into Kaedes hut,

"Kaede!"

"Inu-Yasha, ye that be you?"

Inu-Yasha noticed a raggy old woman whose face was wrinkled and deathly pale.  A patch was over her eye, by the patch and her scent; Inu-Yasha knew it was Kaede,

"Kaede…."

"Ye must have lots to tell me, since ye been under that spell for twenty years, but ye glad to see ye around, at least before ye dies" Kaede began to cough violently before speaking again, "Tell ye, what questions does Ye have?"

"Sango, Mirkou and Shippo, what has become of them?"

"I, Mirkou and Sango had child not too long after ye fell asleep.  Since Naraku wasn't killed, he roamed free, Miroku's wind tunnel engulfed him, Sango and Shippo were killed by Naraku, Miroku's child is the same as Miroku, and he is just as…. a pervert, shall ye say"

Inu-Yasha nodded bitterly, "I…"

"Ye need not say more, hath ye, visited Kagome?"

"I don't want to talk about it" Inu-Yasha growled.

"Ye hasn't changed, however, after you fell asleep, Kikiyo was never seen or heard from again, ye guesses she passed on"

Inu-Yasha frowned, happy, yet sad, "I guess that was the best thing"

Kaede nodded, "Ye should go now, I need to rest, this the only way I keep up these days" Kaede began to cough.  Inu-Yasha left without a word and headed out to his tree.  He swiftly climbed up into the branches and rested comfortably in deep thought.  _Kagome, I'll not be a burden, but I'll watch our daughter grow, even if it means from a distance.  I had no right to do what I did…._  Inu-Yasha slowly felt his stomach growl, hopping out of the tree he went back into the village to grab a bite to eat.

Chapter 2- three years later

            It had taken much strength, but Inu-Yasha found himself visiting the modern world every month or so, not to see Kagome, but his daughter.  She grew and became just as beautiful as Kagome was at her age, and many boys liked her.  Though Inu-Yasha kept his distance, ever now and then he would find a hiding spot and purposely throw an object at a boy he objected to.  Leaving the boy usually out cold on the sidewalk.  

            Three years after Inu-Yasha had returned to the present for the first time, he returned as usual for a few hours.  He noticed that Rain no longer went to school, but instead went to a university.  She was now in what Kagome called, College.  Inu-Yasha in the back of his mind snorted, "What good are studies when you fight demons?"

Inu-Yasha perched himself, hidden from view, outside the window of Rain's class and watched her.  In the depth of his heart, he wished he could've been the one, to be her father, but a human, a human mother and father, to a ¼ demon, replaced him.   Inu-Yasha watched her all day that day, thinking about what might have been, but he knew that'd change nothing about what was real.

            At the end of the day Inu-Yasha watched as Hojo picked her up from school, Kagome was with Hojo and they got into the car, along with a boy, slightly younger than Rain.  Inu-Yasha guessed it was Hojo's and Kagome's child.  Inu-Yasha watched as the group pulled out of the parking lot and onto the road.  At a distance, Inu-Yasha followed them back to the shrine.  The boy was the first to leave; he waved good-bye and said something about going to a baseball game.  He took off quickly down the road and Hojo followed him.  Rain was the second to follow, leaving only Kagome and Inu-Yasha.  Inu-Yasha took a deep breath and as Kagome's hand touched the door, Inu-Yasha jumped down from his spot in the tree, 

"Kagome, It's been a long time"

Kagome spun around, "Inu-Yasha?"

Inu-Yasha nodded and walked towards her, "I need to tell you something"

"Inu-Yasha, you never stayed, I had something very important to tell you"

Inu-Yasha lowered his head, "I'm sorry, I you must be quick now, I leave soon"

Kagome nodded and invited Inu-Yasha inside for a bowl of Ramen.  Inu-Yasha accepted and as they were eating Kagome spoke, "Hojo doesn't know Rain isn't his daughter, your probably wondering how that's possible, you see, I asked Hojo if he would marry me, I wasn't too far along in pregnancy, so it would seem to be his child, and that's what everyone thought, only my mom, grandpa, and you know whose daughter she really is, Inu-Yasha lowered his eyes heavily, "It makes sense that way I guess"

Kagome frowned, "But there's more.  When Rain was born, she was born like you, ears, claws and all.  Hojo, the doctors, no one knew what to think really.  They were removed from her"

Inu-Yasha nodded and finished his Ramen.  Wiping his mouth he stood up and began outside.  Kagome rushed after him,

"Don't leave!"

Inu-Yasha shook his head, "WE can't change the past, but, I swear, I'll protect you, and always look after you"

With that Inu-Yasha jumped down the well. leaving Kagome in tears on the ground.

            _I'm never talking to her again!_  Inu-Yasha slammed his fists into the table and Kaede took note and looked at him, 

"Inu-Yasha, what ails ye?"

Inu-Yasha growled, "Kagome"

"Kagome?!!  You went to see her?" Kaede exclaimed.

"Yes, I can't believe…. what I've done, both in the past and present"

Kaede nodded, "Ye should've said your feelings sooner, I might be able to help ye"

Inu-Yasha turned to Kaede, "How?"

"Going back, to where it all began"

"Going back?  You mean you have a way to help me correct it?!"

"No, but I have advise" Kaede said, causing Inu-Yasha to fall over,

"That's not the answer that I was looking for Hag"

"No?"  Kaede said plainly.

"You still don't's make sense" Inu-Yasha snorted.

"Indeed, but the answer you seek is easy, the jewel shards, you can make a wish with them, gather them and correct your past mistake"

"I would, only Kagome destroyed hers" Inu-Yasha said irritated.

Kaede sat up, "Then hath ye forgotten, the jewel shards can't really be destroyed, inside the jewel, a forever battle rages on, only by uniting the jewel, and making a wish of pureness can the anger inside the jewel be settled and the jewel to disappear."

"You need to learn to listen old hag, I said Kagome destroyed it"

"Not really, she didn't, but gave me the shards, to keep until you awoke, along with this letter" Kaede rummaged under her bed and pulled out a yellow letter and a jar filled with the shards of the sacred jewel.  Inu-Yasha took the letter and sat down and read it to himself:

Dear Inu-Yasha.

            If you're receiving this letter, then you already know what I have done to you.  If you can never forgive me, I understand.  In the jar enclosed with this letter are the shards of the jewel, which I hope are still there.  All the jewel shards that still need to be found are kept by Naraku.  Please, don't come and see me.  It's not that I don't want to see you; it's just that, I do it for the sake of our daughter, Rain.  We can't turn back the hands of time, so please, use the jewel shards, once you have competed it however you wish, and remember, no matter what I'll always love you more than anyone in the world,

            Love,

                        Kagome

Inu-Yasha held the letter close to his heart and felt slight tears drip down his cheek.  Kaede noticed it and questioned him,

"Inu-Yasha's?"

"Strange Kaede, I've never cried before, even when…."

Kaede placed her hand on Inu-Yasha, "You know what to do Inu-Yasha, now go"

Inu-Yasha groaned, "You read by letter?!"

"No, it's none of my business"

Inu-Yasha growled and walked outside and climbed up into his tree, "I'll never go back"

The End


End file.
